The Life of an Element
by Red-Travels-The-Furthest
Summary: Axel and Roxas were subjects to the science experiments of a man named Vexen. They are cursed to live off of their respectful elements, needing these elements rather than food and water. They also hold the ability to wield these elements with ease. But is this a blessing or a curse? And 10 years after escaping, will they recognize each other? AkuRoku : Rated for later chapters!
1. Why are you crying?

This is my first multi-chapter fic. So please stick with me! The first couple chapters will take place 10 years before the main storyline.

I disclaim Kingdom Hearts!

* * *

_Hi! My name is Axel Lee and I'm 8 years old! Vexen bought me this journal. He told me to write stuff in it everyday. Like... my thoughts and stuff? I don't know! OH, Guess what! I'm a science experiment! I don't know how, but I am! Isn't that cool! Vexen is my daddy! He adopted me. But he doesn't let me call him daddy, I have to call him Dr. Vexen. That's okay. My room is big! I wish I could show you... It's big and grey and has lots and lots of room for me to play! I'm not allowed to leave, but that's okay! It's fun to be alone sometimes because then I have lots of time to play! Vexen says I'm not allowed to have any toys, so I play with my blanket. It's fun to make shapes out of it and stuff like that. Well, I'm not sure what else to write! I've been with Vexen for three weeks now. He says I'm going to be very useful! I'm excited because he said my first 'appointment' -whatever that means- is tomorrow! We're gonna be best friends, journal! You and I! See ya!_

Little Axel smiled as he closed his brand new journal and pocketed the tiny pencil. He leaned over the side of his rickety bed and slid the thin book under the mattress. Safe and sound! Vexen would be so proud of him. He smiled at the thought of his new daddy. The man might not be the friendliest guy in the world, but he had taken the little redhead in and that's all that mattered to Axel. He had always wanted a mommy too, but Vexen told him that 'no lady could ever compare to a child'. It hadn't made sense to the boy at the time, but he came to terms with the fact that Dr. Vexen just says some weird stuff sometimes. That's okay! That's what made him funny!

A grumble came from Axel's tummy and the redhead giggled. He stood up on his bed and swung his arms back behind him as far as he could. He imagined he was on an airplane thousands of feet in the sky about to jump with nothing but a parachute! A large smile spread across the boy's face at the thought and he leapt as far as he could off the bed, landing with a loud _thump_. A grin threatened to rip his face in two and the child pulled his one and only pencil from his trousers to lean over and mark his new record distance.

It was at that moment the door swung open.

"Axel, come." Vexen's demanding voice echoed through the empty room and Axel jumped, startled.

"Daddy! You scared me!" He giggled and pocketed his pencil before making his way to the scientist. He grinned up at the man and pointed to the mark he made. "Look how far I jumped!"

"That's nice, Axel. Now come along, it's time to eat. And you are not to call me 'daddy'. Understood?" The man spoke dully as he made his way down the vicinity's hall, hands clasped behind his back. Axel followed happily.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, Doctor Vexen!" He smiled up at the man in apology and Vexen smirked. The blond reached down and ruffled the boy's fiery locks with a wicked grin.

"You will be of much use, Axel."

Axel giggled.

* * *

"Spaghetti! I _LOVE_ spaghetti, Vexen!" Axel cheered in excitement when he spotted his favorite dish set up on the lone, white dining table. He let go of Vexen's hand (he had insisted the man hold his hand!) and ran to the table, plopping himself on one of the too-big-for-kids chairs. He vaguely noticed the lack of members at the table today. Usually there were a bunch of guys in white coats... Oh well, Spaghetti!

"Your old caretaker informed me of your interest in this cuisine." Vexen spoke matter-of-factly and joined Axel at the table. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled with an interested look at the boy. "Just tell me whenever you want to eat it, okay? Marluxia will be happy to cook it up for you."

Marluxia served as Vexen's chef at the Hearts Research Vicinity. The pink haired man was always happy to cook for Axel. He had taken an immediate liking to the boy considering he was the first child to take residence under Vexen's wing. Axel didn't mind the attention. In fact, he loved the attention!

"Really? I can have spaghetti whenever I want? Yes!" Axel squealed excitedly as he visibly bounced in his chair. "You're so cool, Vexen!"

"I am glad you think so." Vexen turned his gaze away from the boy. This was going to work out perfectly. The icy scientist hadn't expected the child to take such a liking to him. '_Peculiar. Peculiar, indeed_,' Vexen thought to himself. He watched predatorily as the young one stuffed his face. '_Spaghetti, huh? Perhaps, that can be altered.' _A smirk cracked on his face and the blond stood up from the table.

"When you are finished eating, I would like to see you in my lab. You know where that is. Do not go anywhere else." And at that, he exited the room and smiled triumphantly as he made his way to his favorite place of the whole vicinity. The lab.

Axel rubbed his tummy in satisfaction. Vexen was so nice! Spaghetti every day! The redhead smiled to himself. His life was going to be so great. Jumping off the chair, Axel picked up his empty plate and padded through the empty room to the drop-off window. He held the plate with both hands like Vexen told him too and stuck his tongue out in concentration as he gently placed it on the surface.

Usually, Marluxia would take his dish for him, but since the man wasn't around, Axel thought he'd be nice and do it for him! The redhead leaned his head through the window and scanned the kitchen. '_Maybe he's in here.'_

He cupped his hands around his mouth as a makeshift megaphone and shouted as loud as his little lungs could carry.

"MARLYYYYYY!"

He waited a few seconds before a response came.

"Axel?"

A grin spread across the boy's face and he leaned against the window to try to get more of himself through the small hole. Soon, a pink head came into view and Axel giggled as the chef tweaked his nose.

"Hi Marly!" Axel gave the man a toothy grin and pointed to his plate. "Look! I brought my own plate over here!"

"No way!" Marluxia exclaimed over dramatically. Axel giggled and nodded his head enthusiastically. "Thank you, Axel. I'm proud of you." The man smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Hey, didn't Vexen want to see you after dinner?"

"Yea. I just wanted to see you first!"

Marluxia chuckled. "You see me every day, little Master!"

Axel laughed at the name and grinned. "Yup! That's why I had to see you!" He leaned back because his arms were getting tired of holding his weight up to the window. "Vexen said you'll make me spaghetti whenever I want it!" He shouted excitedly up at the window and placed his hands on his hips proudly.

"Oh, did he?" Marluxia laughed and replaced his head in the window to look down at the beaming redhead who nodded happily. "Well, okie dokie then!"

Axel laughed happily and turned a dramatic one hundred and eighty degrees. Marluxia lifted a single perfect eyebrow as the child wiggled his butt at the man before running off to find his 'daddy'. '_What a sweet child.' _Marluxia thought to himself with a sad smile. '_It's a shame he's here…'_

* * *

Axel skipped down the hall and laughed loud when he skidded around the corner. His new home was so **big.** '_I bet the other kids that got adopted don't live in a place this big!' _the child mused to himself cheekily. Deciding he loved the way he slid around the polished floors with his socks, Axel backed up and ran down the hallway again. He stopped picking up his feet and slid across the floor, having to stop himself from hitting a wall.

Face beat red from laughing and running around so much Axel decided it was time to go see Vexen like he was asked. The always-happy child pushed the door open quietly (he knew Vexen liked quiet) and stepped in. He cocked his head to the side when he noticed his 'daddy' hunched over his lab table, working intently at something.

"Come, Axel." The man spoke, startling Axel. How did he hear him come in? Vexen was so cool!

"Watcha doin', Vexy?" The redhead whispered, afraid to pierce the loud silence that enveloped the room. He padded over to the table and tried to peek over the edge, but he was too short.

"Do not call me that, child." Vexen mumbled as he patted his lap. "Come. Sit. I must show you something."

Axel smiled. He got to sit on Vexen's lap! He lifted his arms and the scientist pulled him up in one swift motion. The redhead dangled his legs as he looked down at the table. There, on the cold metal table was a little metal box that sat on top of a multitude of papers that were surrounded by flask of liquids that each contained something that Axel would never be able to recognize. The metal box was a bright red, much like the color of the boy's hair.

"This is for you." Vexen's voice came from behind Axel and the redhead felt the man's breath on his neck. He giggled.

"What is it?" He turned his head and glanced at the scientist with big, green, inquisitive eyes.

"It's a lighter. It makes fire." Vexen explained and reached from behind the boy to pick up the small metal object. "It creates endless flame; flame that you will need, my boy."

"Why?" Axel asked bluntly.

Vexen smiled darkly. Axel didn't notice though.

"You'll find out soon enough." The scientist explained. He opened one of the child's small hands and placed the object in it. Science really was a beautiful thing.

* * *

As Axel lay in his bed, he flipped his new lighter on and off repeatedly. The flame that sprouted every time he ran his thumb over the gear was so _pretty._ The redhead had never held fire in his hand before. His old caretakers had deemed it dangerous.

Vexen was _so_ cool.

Axel grinned at the ceiling. Man, he had it made! Closing the top of the lighter, the young redhead leaned over to tuck it under his mattress right next to his journal. Tomorrow was his first 'appointment' with Vexen!

Closing his eyes, Axel fell asleep with a smile on his face. He was so excited!

* * *

Axel was awakened by the sounds of slamming doors.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Axel reached for his little red blanky and shuffled off his bed. The fabric dragged on the floor behind him, but the boy didn't care.

"S-s-_stop!" _A young voice came from beyond the redhead's door and Axel's eyes widened. Another kid! But…wait. Was that crying?

"I wanna go _home_! Please!" The child was shouting, but even then his voice was weak. Axel frowned. He was confused.

"Shush up, child."

Vexen! Axel clutched his blanket tighter and smiled at the sound of his 'daddy's' voice. If somebody was sad, Vexen was sure to fix it!

Content with the fact that his adoptive father had the situation under control, Axel dragged his blanket back to his single bed and shuffled back onto it. He turned on his side and played with his spiky hair. When the door opened, he didn't move.

A light sniffling enveloped the room and Axel's curiosity got the best of him. He looked over his shoulder to see the door was closed and in the middle of the floor there was a boy. And he was crying.

As soon as Axel noticed the tears, he turned around fully and hopped off his bed. The new boy's sniffling stopped immediately and his head snapped up. He hadn't noticed there was another kid in the room.

"Hi! I'm Axel!" Axel padded over to the boy and plopped down, crisscross in front of him. "Why are you crying?" He was genuinely confused. How could anybody be sad in this place?

The boy didn't respond. He just stared at Axel with big, ocean-like orbs and brought his knees to his chest, hugging them tight. His shaggy blond hair fell in his face and he bowed his head into his arms to cover his eyes.

Axel cocked his head to the side in confusion when the boy started shuddering again, his tiny body shaking. He was so small, probably younger than Axel.

"Hey," Axel tried again. He wanted the boy to talk to him! He can't just come into his room and cry without talking to the redhead! "Stop crying." He said bluntly. Not rudely, just bluntly.

The shudders halted again and the blond boy looked up cautiously.

"I'm sorry." He whispered so quietly, Axel could barely hear him. "I'm scared." His voice broke on the last syllable and his big eyes started flooding over again. Axel watched the boy and slowly reached forward to touch him. When the boy didn't flinch, Axel thought it okay to place his hand on the tiny shoulder.

"You're so tiny." He mused aloud and laughed. "Come on! Do you wanna see my lighter?" He shook the boy's shoulder excitedly and the blond's eyes widened in astonishment. When he didn't reply, Axel laughed. "Come on!"

The redhead stood quickly, pulling the blond along with him as he went to his mattress.

"This is my secret hiding spot, so don't tell anyone where it is!" He informed the new boy as he reached under his mattress. He stuck his tongue out as he moved his arm around, looking for his new toy. "Ah-ha!" A grin cracked on his face and he held up the lighter proudly.

The blond boy didn't know how to respond. His eyes flickered between the beaming boy in front of him and the little metal box he was holding out. He didn't get it.

"Vexen gave it to me!" Axel exclaimed and pushed it in the boy's face.

The timid child's eyes widened at the mention of the scientist and he shook his head, frightened. Axel noticed the tears starting up again, and this time he sighed.

"Don't you cry again! Boys don't cry!"

Staring at Axel, bewildered, the boy brought his dirty arm up to wipe at his face. In consequence, he only smudged dirt all over his face. Axel burst out laughing.

"Why are you, ha-ha! Why are you so dirty?" He asked between chuckles and the boy stepped back timidly, looking down at himself. He _was_ really dirty.

Axel noticed the boy staring at himself with a blank expression. '_What's with him?'_ he thought to himself. He cocked his head to the side when he thought he heard the blond say something. "What'd you say?"

The child looked up at him timidly before trying again.

"Roxas." He repeated, rubbing his arm. "I'm Roxas."

* * *

Please review! I wanna know that at least one person is reading this before I continue writing. so PLEASE REVIEW. Thankyou so much for reading :)


	2. Yodeling in the mountains!

5 reviews! Thankyou so much you guys! It means so much! Well, here's chapter 2. It still takes place 10 years before the main story line, so stick with me! I have this whole fic planned out, so hopefully updates won't take too long :)

I disclaim Kingdom Hearts!

Thankyou :D bahaha okie smokes. Onto the story!

* * *

_Hi! Remember me? Of course you do! You're my journal! Yesterday, Vexen gave me this little red box. It's called a lighter. It makes fire! Isn't that cool! Also, there's a new boy in my room! His name is Roxas. He told me he's 7. He's all tiny and quiet. I think he's funny. Maybe Vexen adopted him too! Wouldn't that be so cool if I had a brother? He kept on crying and crying. It was really getting old! So, I told him boys don't cry. Yup, that made him stop! Since there's only one bed in my room and I don't want to share it, I let Roxas use it tonight. I'm sleeping on the floor! Isn't that crazy? I'm so nice! Vexen should be proud of me. Well, I should get to bed. Tomorrow is my first 'appointment'! Goodnight, journal!_

Axel yawned as he closed his journal and pocketed his one and only writing utensil. His pencil was getting really short, he would have to remember to ask Vexen for a new one. Crawling over to the bed, Axel stuffed the journal under the mattress, being extra careful not to disturb the sleeping boy on top of it. He grabbed his blanket from the bottom of the bed and settled himself on the floor. Smiling at his good deed, Axel hugged his red blanket and soon fell into slumber.

When Axel woke up, he groaned from the soreness of his poor eight-year-old body. He glanced over at Roxas sleeping soundly on the bed, curled up in a tiny fetal position. Why was the kid in his room anyway? Axel yawned and patted his belly. It didn't matter! All that mattered right then was breakfast!

Axel turned his head back to the ceiling and smiled before shouting.

"WAKE UP, ROXAS!"

There was a thump and Axel laughed. He sat up in one swift motion and glanced over at his new friend. Roxas had bumped his head against the wall and was rubbing it with a pained expression. Axel chuckled and picked up his blanket as he got up from the hard concrete he'd been sleeping on. He yawned and stretched overdramatically as Roxas watched him quietly.

"Do you like spaghetti?" Axel asked as he dragged his blanket over to the bed where Roxas was sitting, covering himself in the sheet. (Axel had pulled the sheet off the bed for Roxas to use as a blanket.)

Roxas stared at the redhead with big eyes and shrugged.

"WHAT?" Axel's jaw dropped and he sat himself on the bed, effectively invading the blond's personal space. Roxas flinched and scooted back the slightest bit. "Spaghetti is _so_ good, Roxas!"

The small boy didn't take his eyes off of the other boy's as he spoke quietly. "I like s'ghetti."

Axel beamed. "Good! Because we're gonna eat spaghetti every_day."_ He said, looking up at the ceiling dreamily.

Roxas was horrified. "_Why?_" he looked at Axel worriedly.

The redhead locked eyes with the boy and after a moment of holding that blank stare, he burst into laughter. "Why? Ha-ha! Because I _love_ spaghetti! You can ask Marly to make you something different if you want." He frowned and looked away, "I don't know why you'd want to do that, though."

Roxas physically shrunk at seeing Axel frown like that. "I'll eat s'ghetti."

The bigger of the two looked back at the boy confusedly and giggled. "You're so cute, Roxas!"

At this, Roxas narrowed his eyes. "Am not!"

Axel just laughed.

"Wait there, Roxy!" The redhead giggled and stood up on the bed. Roxas' eyes widened and he leaned back when he noticed how close the other boy's butt was to his face. Axel brought his arms back as far as he could and the blond watched in interest. The older closed his eyes as if he were imagining something.

Then suddenly, he jumped.

Roxas squeaked (and a very high pitched squeak at that) in surprise.

Axel landed with a loud _thud_ a good distance away from the bed. The blond simply squinted his eyes in confusion as he watched the other look down at the floor.

"Darn it!" exclaimed Axel. "You shoulda seen how far I jumped yesterday!"

Roxas giggled.

"You wanna try?" The blond's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Aww, c'monnnn!" Axel whined and threw his head back dramatically. Roxas blinked and seemed to have an internal battle with his apprehensive self before he pushed the sheet off of him as he stood up.

"Okay..." He muttered ever so quietly more to himself than anything.

Axel grinned and scooted back to give the blond more room.

"You just gotta imagine you're jumping off a _giaaaant _airplane." He spread his arms for emphasis on just how giant that imaginary airplane should be.

Roxas nodded and furrowed his brows in concentration as he closed his eyes and brought his arms back, as Axel had done.

And he jumped.

In the moment that little Roxas was in the air, the wind blew past him as the sound of the _giaaaaant_ airplane faded away.

Roxas landed with a _foosh_ and, unable to keep his balance, flailed his arms around a bit before falling back on his bum.

"Wooo, Roxy!" Axel cheered from the corner and padded over to the stunned blonde. "Man, that was so _cool_. Look how far you jumped!"

Roxas blinked three times and looked behind him. He _had_ jumped far! He smiled and looked up at Axel.

"I jumped more far than you did, Axel!" He exclaimed excitedly and pointed to the ground right in front of him.

"Wahh?" Axel looked astonished. "Nope! I've jumped further! Look!" He pointed at a line on the concrete marking his record a mere 6 inches or less away from where Roxas sat.

Roxas stared at Axel for a moment before following his finger to the mark. "Oh." He furrowed his little blond eyebrows and frowned.

And then the door opened.

"What is all of this noise, children?"

Roxas visibly shrunk.

"Hi, Vexen! Is Roxas my new brother?" Axel asked cheekily, pointing at Roxas. Vexen chuckled and shook his head. Axel frowned. "Then how come he's in my room?" Vexen smirked and kneeled down to reach eye level with his little redhead, his long white cloak pooling around him on the floor.

"This is still _your_ room, child. Now, both of you come. Breakfast." And at that, he stood brushing off his already clean cloak and headed out the door. Axel brightened.

"SPAGHETTI!" He shouted and spread out his arms as if he were an airplane. He ran around the room a few times like this before noticing Roxas had gone back to huddling on the bed, clutching the sheet.

"C'mon Roxy!" He reached his hand out to the boy as he bounced on his feet in excitement.

Roxas shook his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his fiddling hands. He held the sheet closer to himself, as he had seen Axel do with his blanket. He was scared; he didn't want to leave Axel's room. Axel made it all just that much less scary.

"My sheet isn't very soft is it?" Axel asked dully as he stared at Roxas, all energy temporarily covered by curiosity for the mysterious new boy. Roxas glanced up for a moment before reverting his attention back to the fabric in his hand. He squeezed it. No, it really wasn't very soft.

"Here" suddenly the blond's vision was filled with red. He looked up to see Axel holding his blanket out to him. "Do you want it?"

Roxas reached out and ran his hand over the soft fabric. "But it's yours."

Axel placed his free hand that wasn't holding the blanket on his hip and smiled proudly. "Welp, Roxy. Now that you're living in my room, you're mine too! So, if I give this to you, it's still mine." He stated matter-of-factly before leaning in close to Roxas' face and, pointing a finger to the blond's head, he added, "Got it memorized?" The blonde shrunk his head back a bit at the closeness but nodded nonetheless.

Axel grinned and dropped the blanket in Roxas' lap before skipping off to the door. He stopped at the doorway and looked back at the soundless boy. "C'mon, Roxas!" He coaxed at Roxas who had the faintest of smiles tinting his lips as he clutched his new blanket and crawled off the bed.

* * *

Roxas ate his Froot Loops slowly and held onto the blanket in his lap as he watched Axel basically inhale his spaghetti. He had never seen anybody eat that fast before! Not even his brother! And Sora ate _really_ fast.

The blond saddened at the memory of his brother. It made him think of his mommy. Would he ever see them again? Were they gonna come save him from this scary place?

"Hey, Woxas" Axel mumbled around a mouth full of food and Roxas looked up at him from staring at his bowl. Axel chewed thoroughly and swallowed once he got the boy's attention and continued, "How come you don't talk much?"

Roxas blinked. He watched as Axel swirled another large clump of noodles around his fork and shoved it into his mouth before locking eyes with him again.

"I… um. I-I don't… um…" He mumbled and huffed. He didn't know what to say to the redhead.

Axel laughed, effectively splaying chewed up pieces of spaghetti back on to his plate. He stared down at the food and swallowed what was in his mouth. "Ewww…" He grumbled at the now gross plate.

This, in turn, caused Roxas to giggle and he looked back down at his bowl, smiling as he shoveled a few colorful 'loops' into his mouth.

For now, until his mommy saved him, Axel would be his family.

"Hi Marly!" Axel exclaimed suddenly and Roxas looked up, still chewing. Making his way over to the table, holding a small bowl of salad, was the man with pink hair that had poured Roxas' cereal for him. Once clarifying that the scary blond man from yesterday wasn't coming in too, the boy went back to his cereal.

"Good morning Axel, Roxas." He smiled kindly and nodded his head as he sat at the table. "Did you sleep well?"

Roxas nodded but didn't make eye contact. He proceeded to have a growing interest in his food, pushing all the green pieces to the opposite side of the bowl with his spoon.

"No!" Axel didn't seem to mind sharing everything with the pink haired man. "_I_ slept on the floor so Roxas could have _my_ bed!" He explained proudly and smiled broadly at the chef.

"Did you, now?" Marluxia chuckled as he mixed dressing into his salad. "That's very kind of you, Axel." He smiled back at the boy.

"I _know!"_ Axel's eyes widened and he placed both hands on the table in emphasis, "I even gave him my blanket!"

Marluxia raised his brows in disbelief. "Really?" Axel nodded confidently. "Wow, you sure are lucky to have a friend like Axel here, Roxas." The man pronounced as he ruffled the redhead's hair.

Roxas didn't look up, but he nodded and, fiddling with the soft fabric in his hands, he smiled. "Yea." And he went back to eating his Froot Loops.

Roxas _loved_ Fruit Loops.

* * *

"Roxas." Vexen beckoned from the doorway of the boys' room. Axel and Roxas had been having staring contests. After much pestering, the redhead had finally discovered that the blond actually _enjoyed_ staring blankly at people. The 'fun' was interrupted when the scientist entered the room, though.

Axel brightened but didn't take his eyes off of the other boy's orbs, "Hi, Vexen!"

Roxas, on the other hand, flinched and looked up at Vexen with wide eyes. In turn, he blinked.

"Ha! You blinked, Roxas!" Axel rocked back in his sitting position and laughed. Roxas looked back at Axel blankly and frowned. He hadn't lost all day.

"Roxas." Vexen repeated and Roxas' gaze reverted back to the man that had taken him away from his home. He narrowed his eyes disdainfully and Vexen raised an interested brow at the gesture. "Come, boy. You have an appointment." Roxas frowned.

"Vexen!" Axel protested. "You said my appointment is today!"

Roxas glanced at Axel and looked back at Vexen. The scientist smiled. Roxas didn't like that smile, it just seemed happy for all the wrong reasons to the boy.

"My apologies, child," The man replied and stepped into the room, his boots clacking against the concrete, "But Roxas _must_ go first."

Axel huffed and crossed his arms over his little chest. He stood up and frowned at his adopted father. "That's not fair, Vexen!"

Vexen smirked at the child's attitude. "Everything will not always go the way you desire, Axel" And at that, he reached down and held his hand out to Roxas. The apprehensive boy just shook his head and clutched onto the blanket in his lap harder. Vexen narrowed his eyes.

"Fine!" Roxas heard the crack in Axel's voice. The redhead was genuinely upset that the new boy got to go first. Roxas glanced at his new friend behind Vexen's leg and flinched at the frustrated look in his eyes.

"L-let Axel..." He tried to speak but the words came out in squeaky whispers. He wanted Axel to be happy!

"What was that, child?" Vexen coaxed.

Roxas looked up at the man kneeling before him and he stood up to equal out the height difference. Once Vexen's icy eyes were leveled with his, Roxas clung to the blanket in his grasp and tried again.

"Let Axel go… first." He spoke with determination and kept a straight face as he stared into the scientist's eyes. Vexen smiled darkly.

Axel looked over from his brooding spot from the bed and noticed Roxas' fear. His frustration softened, he knew it wasn't the boy's fault.

"It's okay, Roxy." He said quietly; too quietly for Roxas or Vexen to hear.

"Come, Roxas," was all Vexen said before he reached forward and picked the boy up from under his arms. Roxas squeaked and tightened his grip on Axel's blanket as the man held him against his hip. Vexen's grip wasn't warm like his mom's; it was almost… cold. He didn't protest, though. He knew he could do nothing against a scary man like Vexen.

So, as he was carted out of the room, Roxas looked back at Axel with scared eyes. The redheaded boy locked eyes with him and smiled reassuringly with a thumbs up. Roxas blinked. He wasn't mad?

Somehow, just knowing that Axel was okay made everything just that much less scary. So, Roxas allowed his fears to leave him as he was taken to the scariest room in the whole place. The lab.

* * *

As Axel waited for Roxas to come back, he realized just how boring an empty room could be. Before Roxas had come, he had had fun with his imagination and his blanket. But, now that he had made a friend (even if that friend was as _boring _as Roxas), he realized how fun the presence of another kid around his age could be. He liked it.

"Rox-as." He sang the boy's name aloud and laughed at how it echoed in the large room. The redhead decided that when Roxas got back, he'd teach him how to yodel in the mountains!

"Leedle-Leedle-Leedle-Lee!" Axel shouted and giggled as the sound bounced back at him. He glanced around the room to see if there was anything to play with. He noticed his sheet was still pulled off the bed and crumpled in a ball where Roxas had left it. The redhead laughed at the image of little Roxas clinging to a sheet and padded over to the bed to cuddle up with it. It wasn't as soft as his blanket but it'd have to do.

Axel sat crisscross on the bed and pulled a portion of the sheet into his lap to cover his legs. He sat like that, staring at the door, and willing Roxas to come back so they could play. When nothing happened, the redhead sighed and bent over to reach under the mattress. He pulled out his lighter and proceeded to flick the flame off and on like he had the day before.

It didn't seem as fun this time, though.

* * *

"Ow!" Roxas squirmed as Vexen poked a needle in the crook of his elbow. There was already a needle in his other arm, attached to a tube that was continuously flowing with red liquid. Roxas wasn't sure what it was.

"Calm, Roxas." Vexen spoke calmly as he wiped the skin around where the needle now protruded from the boy's arm with a sterile pad.

Roxas whimpered and shook his head but didn't move. His arm hurt when he moved. "Mommy…" He whispered to himself more than anything. "Mommy… he's hurting me." He was scared. He was so, _very_ scared.

Vexen pretended to not hear Roxas' mumblings as he turned to the machine that Roxas was hooked up to. He attached the new tube to another socket and flipped a switch. The red liquid that had been filling the bag in the machine then started to filter back through the new tube, cycling back into Roxas' body. Vexen then turned his back to the boy to search for his formula. He hadn't strapped him down for he knew he wouldn't put up a fight. Unlike Axel, Roxas was compliant.

Spotting the small tube of powder, Vexen smirked. He checked the label. _Light_.

"Do not fall asleep, Roxas." Vexen demanded as he turned to the machine that was hooked up to the boy.

Roxas didn't hear him. His ears were locked away in his own mind as he stared at the tubes coming out of his body. His bloodshot eyes leaked tears when he realized the red liquid was his blood.

"Roxas." Vexen attempted to get his attention again.

Roxas lifted his head and met Vexen's gaze with pleading eyes that would melt any other human being's heart. Too bad Vexen's heart was cold. The man smirked and tipped the tube over ever so slightly into the bag that was quickly filling with Roxas' blood and tapped it so that the powder fell quietly into the mixture.

Roxas watched in horror. What was the man doing to him? He was confused and scared. And more than anything, he wanted his mom. "Mommy…" He beckoned for her again as he watched the scientist's ministrations with wide, scared eyes.

Vexen came up to him and placed a cold hand on the boy's cheek, "Such purity." He spoke with pure interest and moved his hand down to the crook of his neck and pressed. He smirked as he felt the child's steady heartbeat. Roxas didn't dare move. He watched the man's eyes as they stared intently at his hand. "I will make you unique, Roxas."

Roxas blinked and squinted when his tears stung his eyes.

"You and Axel will be my pride."

* * *

Axel was almost asleep when Roxas returned to their room.

The blonde stumbled in, clutching onto his blanket for dear life. He took one look at the huddled form on the bed that was staring at him and broke into tears. They weren't loud, uncontrollable tears either. They were silent, wide-eyed, pleading _tears_.

"Roxas?" Axel asked, confused. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and scrambled off the bed to get a better look at the boy.

Roxas slowly sat down on the ground and looked up at Axel when the redhead sat in front of him, staring, bewildered, at all of the boy's bandages. He reached forward and touched the gauze that was wrapped around both of the blonde's elbows. Roxas winced.

"Axel…" He whimpered. "I want… I want to go _home."_ His voice squeaked on the last syllable and Axel squinted. He was beyond confused. His gaze moved to the large bandage that was covering Roxas' neck. It was staining red in the middle. Axel's eyes widened and he looked back up at the boy's eyes. They were frightened.

"Don't be scared, Roxy. Vexen is so cool!" Axel tried to lighten the mood. He was getting scared. He had never been around much injury before.

Roxas didn't seem to agree. He shook his head as much as he could without hurting his neck and closed his eyes tight. "He hurt me… Axel." The blonde looked up at his only friend in the darkness. "Don't let him hurt you." He whimpered and Axel panicked. He didn't know what to do, so he just hugged Roxas. Everything was moving too fast for him to understand.

As Roxas clung to Axel's shirt, the boy's blanket was suffocated between the two. The blonde hadn't let go of it.

* * *

Still no beta :( so tell me if there's anything major needed to be fixed! Please review! I promise I won't beg you to review after every chapter, it just seems necessary right now x) Welp, there's probably only going to be one more chapter of the kids' life in the vicinity. So, I hope you guys are excited!


	3. Scared of needles

_Jornal! I'm so scared! After brekfast this morning, Vexen came in and took Roxas for an apoytment. He didn't want to go. Why wasn't he exsited? And then! When he came back, he was all hurt! He had bandaids on his arms and his neck! And the one on his neck was bleeding! I am so scared! He said Vexen hurt him. Vexen wouldn't hurt anybody! Right, jornal? I'm don't know what time it is, but it's relly late. I can't sleep! Well, Roxas is sleeping rite now. He won't let go of my blanket. I'm glad he likes it._

Axel closed his journal and set it gently on the floor, placing his pencil on top of it. His eyes wandered around the room. _Why is this room so empty anyway?_ He thought to himself. His old room at the orphanage had at least had a dresser and a window. Even a play mat would be nice.

Axel didn't have these things that the vicinity, and after seeing Roxas come back all hurt from Vexen, he was beginning to wonder why. At first, he thought he shouldn't ask anything and be happy with what he was given. The grown-ups always know what's best for the kids right? Axel huffed. He didn't know.

Why did Vexen have to bring him his clothes? Why did he have to ask to go to the bathroom? Why wasn't he allowed to leave his room? He wasn't even grounded!

"Roxas?" Axel whispered and watched the boy intently for movement. When he didn't notice any, he quietly got up off the floor and padded to the door. He had never tried leaving on his own. Biting his lip in apprehension, the redhead contemplated whether or not he should go against Vexen's orders.

"Axel?"

Axel flinched, but relaxed when he remembered it was just Roxas; cute, funny little Roxas.

"Axel… my arms hurt…"

Axel frowned and stared down at his sock-covered feet. The redhead _really_ hated sadness.

"It's okay, Roxy!" Axel shouted at the door and turned back to face the trembling boy. "Can I see? I bet they look cool!" He grinned.

Roxas sat up into a crisscross position and held his arms out in front of himself. He stared down at them morbidly and Axel watched as his body started shaking with shudders. He was going to cry.

"Roxas! I told you boys don't cry, _remember?_"

"B-but…" Roxas stuttered and sniffed. He looked up at the older boy through his hair and Axel held a bright smile on his face as he locked eyes with the boy's sad blue eyes.

"C'mon Roxas! Wanna go snoop around?!" The redhead asked excitedly, balling his fists up in front of his face.

Roxas sucked in a deep breath, attempting to bring his breathing back to normal. He shook his head when he couldn't. Axel watched with interest as the younger got frustrated with himself and started furiously rubbing at his eyes. _He's so funny!_ The redhead mused to himself.

"Kay! Well I'm going anyway!" Axel announced and placed his hands on his hips. He grinned down at Roxas, "You sure you don't wanna come?"

Roxas held the other boy's stare as he squeezed the blanket in his lap. His little knuckles turned white from the grip and he nodded indecisively.

"Okay!" Axel stated as if it was no big deal and flipped around on his feet, leaving the blonde to stare at his retreating back. He watched as the older boy walked up to the door and reached up to touch the handle. The handle was really high up and he had to stand on his tiptoes just to touch it. He hesitated for a moment and Roxas tipped his head to the side in confusion.

"Axel?" He asked quietly.

Axel quickly withdrew his hand from the knob and glanced at the other over his shoulder in acknowledgment. Roxas looked down at the fabric in his lap for a moment before continuing, "I wanna go." Axel grinned.

"Okay, c'mon!"

Roxas dragged his blanket behind him as he followed Axel down the dark hallways of his prison. The redhead had a light bounce to his step and kept grinning back at the blonde every now and then. It was the small things like this that helped the boy stay unafraid.

"Hey, Roxas," Axel suddenly whispered as he stopped. Roxas halted and stared up at the other with wide eyes. "Where do you think all these doors go?"

The blonde blinked and took a moment to glance down the hallway. He took notice of the rows of doors that he hadn't seemed to pay any attention to before. He looked back at Axel and shrugged.

"Wanna find out?" Axel grinned and bent his knees a bit to come face to face with the smaller boy. Roxas didn't say anything.

"C'mon, we can be adventurers!" The redhead tried again and grinned. Roxas laughed ever-so-slightly and nodded before pushing past the other, shoving the blanket in his arms in the process.

"Hold that." Roxas said quietly and made his way over to one of the doors. He imagined he was playing _Peter Pan_ with Sora and was looking for the stolen treasure. Axel watched in interest as the blonde wiped his hands on his basketball shorts and rubbed them together before reaching for the door handle. He had to stand on his tiptoes and reach as far as he could to just barely touch the medal with his middle finger. He pouted when he couldn't reach high enough to get his hand around it. Axel giggled from behind him.

"Lemme help!" Axel shout-whispered and joined Roxas by the door. He gently placed the blanket on the ground and got onto his hands and knees. Roxas looked down at him, bewildered.

"C'monnn. Stand on me." Axel said, his head facing the floor, as if it were the most obvious thing for the blonde to do. Roxas hesitated but obeyed anyway. He planted one foot on the redhead's back and stared at the back of his head to make sure he didn't hurt him. When the older didn't move, he stepped fully on.

Axel giggled as he heard the other turn the door handle and open the door. The boy hopped down and immediately reached down to grab his blanket.

"It's really dark." Axel pointed out as the two stared into the near-black room. The hallway at least had _some_ light.

"Who're you?" Suddenly, a young voice came from the dark. Roxas squeaked and immediately latched onto Axel.

"Boys."

This time Axel flinched from the deep voice that came from behind the pair. He recognized that voice; it was one of the men that the redhead had seen standing around in Vexen's lab. He turned around ashamedly and bowed his head. Roxas still hadn't let go of his arm.

"Vexen will be angry." The man said emotionlessly as he stared down at the boys. His long, black dreadlocks and large sideburns gave him an all-together creepy vibe. Axel didn't like him very much.

"Please don't tell!" The redhead suddenly shouted, lifting his head to look at the man with pleading eyes. Roxas glanced at Axel and quickly caught on, joining in.

The man stared at them for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether or not to send them to their doom. He seemed unaffected by the pair's puppy eyes. Nonetheless, he wasn't cruel.

"Very well." His deep voice cut through the silence. "Back to bed."

There was movement from within the dark room and the pattering of feet against the floor. The man's eyes glanced away from the boys to look past them. He reached forward and closed the door.

"Now."

It was the middle of the day, Roxas was sleeping, and Axel was _bored._ He had stopped finding interest within his own imagination and was now lost in his curiosity. He wanted to see the rest of his home!

Roxas had refused to eat his breakfast that morning and the redhead felt bad enjoying his spaghetti in front of the other boy. He was starting to be less fun. The redhead sighed. His appointment was today and he wasn't sure if he was as excited anymore.

Vexen would probably come get him soon. He still thought his "daddy" was cool, but he wasn't so sure just _how _cool anymore. The scientist had hurt Roxas, and Axel had no idea why.

The redhead looked over at Roxas. He was cuddled up on the bed, holding his knees to himself with his blanket pressed against his body. The bandage on his neck was a bright white. A man Axel had never seen before had come in earlier that morning to change them. The redhead had gotten a look at all the boy's injuries in the process and, to his surprise; there were more than he thought.

The spots on his arms weren't as bad as Axel had imagined, there were two red spots –one in each elbow- with large dark spots around them; probably bruises. They were nothing compared to the wound on his neck, though.

Roxas had a large incision on the base of his neck. The veins surrounding it were turning a dark black color. It was just about the scariest thing Axel had ever seen. Roxas had flinched when the man had cleaned the wound and the redhead noticed he was biting his lip and squeezing his little fists in tight balls.

What had Vexen done?

Axel stood up from his perch on the ground and walked over to the boy. Roxas was so tiny; he barely took up one fourth of the bed. The redhead was suddenly wondering why he had been sleeping on the floor. He contemplated waking the blonde up, but decided against it and crawled around the boy to lay on the other side of the bed.

Although he wasn't touching the other, he could still feel the body heat and presence of the boy. It calmed his mind and he hugged himself as he fell asleep since it seemed like sleep was the only thing for them to do anymore.

Axel woke up when a bright light invaded the room. He had slept late into the night. When he opened his eyes, he noticed he was hugging Roxas to himself and the blonde was hugging him back.

Then he remembered the reason he woke up, and he peeked through the blonde's hair to lock eyes with the man in the doorway. Vexen was staring at the pair interestedly.

Despite his thoughts earlier that day, Axel smiled at the sight of his adoptive father. Looking at him, the boy just knew the man would never do anything to hurt him.

"Come, Axel. Do not wake Roxas." Vexen whispered and Axel nodded. He pried the blonde's little arms from around his waist, careful of his bandages and wrapped them around the blanket that had been discarded to the end of the bed sometime during the night.

The redhead took one last glance at the boy to make sure he wasn't disturbed as he left. When he saw no movement, he grinned and reached for Vexen's hand. Said man smirked and led the boy out of the room.

"Whatcha doin, Vexen?" Axel asked with a grin as he dangled his legs from the table he was sitting on. The scientist had left him there and proceeded to messing with things that Axel couldn't see on another table.

"Science." The man smirked.

"Cool!" Axel grinned and laughed. He didn't know why Roxas was so scared of Vexen, he was awesome! Maybe it was because he didn't adopt the blonde like he had himself. The redhead fiddled with the fabric of his little t-shirt as he waited.

"Hey, Vexen?"

"Yes child?" The long-haired man asked without looking up from what he was doing.

"Why is Roxas here?" Axel asked innocently as he watched the man's arms move in front of him.

"He's on vacation." Vexen didn't skip a beat.

Axel laughed but quieted when Vexen turned back to him. He was holding a lighter. It looked almost identical to the one he had given the redhead.

Axel giggled when the man pressed the object into his hand. It was cold.

"Do you remember how to use this, Axel?" The blonde scientist asked as he pulled on his gloves. Axel nodded excitedly.

"Yup!"

Vexen smiled and reached for a machine that was sitting next to the table Axel sat on. He pulled it towards the boy and pointed to a bag that was hanging in the middle of the contraption.

"You see this?" He pointed to the bag, "If you light the burner under it," He pointed to said burner, "It will heat up this bag." He glanced at Axel and smirked before continuing. "Therefore, child, any substance placed into this bag will reach high temperatures before cycling out."

"Cool!" Axel exclaimed and grinned at the scientist.

"Yes, it is very _cool._" Vexen agreed and proceeded to explain the experiment to the boy. "So, by monitoring the amount of time the substance stays in the bag before cycled out, one can monitor the temperature of the substance. Then, the temperature will not all leave the bag at a boiling temperature, but will gradually get hotter over time."

Axel listened quietly. None of the things the man was saying were making much sense. He vaguely wondered if someday he would be able to talk with big words like Vexen did. For now, though, he just smiled and pretended he understood.

The redhead watched as his adoptive father reached for the bag and gathered the two tubes that were attached to it, one on either side. The tubes had needles on the ends of them. Axel scrunched up his nose disdainfully at the sight. He hated needles.

Vexen pulled two wipes from a drawer underneath Axel and proceeded to sterilize the needles. Once he had wiped them over a few times, he tossed the wipes into a nearby bin and looked up down at the boy who was watching him carefully.

"Are you scared of needles?"

Axel nodded, slightly ashamed. Vexen smirked.

"It will not be terribly long." And at that he reached forward for the redhead's arms.

Axel was suddenly reminded of the bandages on Roxas' arms

He pulled away.

"Do not defy me, child." Vexen said sternly with a hard eye on the boy. Axel visibly shrunk in shame and nodded before holding his arms out in front of himself. "Good boy."

When Roxas woke up, he immediately noticed Axel was gone. The room was way too quiet. Plus, he had vaguely remembered the boy telling him his appointment was that day. Roxas frowned.

What was happening to Axel at that moment?

Holding the blanket the redhead had given him, the blonde scrambled out of his bed. He wasn't going to just sit around. The other boy always made sure Roxas was okay, so this time Roxas was going to do the same. Once off the bed, he padded across the room.

Staring up at the door, Roxas remembered his height. He frowned. The handle was way too high for him to reach, even if he jumped!

So, Roxas knocked. He had watched Axel repeatedly knock on the door for somebody's attention when he had to go to the bathroom, and it usually worked for him. So, Roxas knocked his knuckles against the door three times. And waited.

When no answer came, the blonde huffed in frustration.

He kicked the door. And waited.

Still nothing. The blonde let out a loud breath and dropped his blanket to the floor to give the door a thorough beating. He pounded his fists and kicked it repeatedly. When he felt about to give up, the door swung open quickly and Roxas nearly fell over.

Marluxia stared down at the tiny boy in front of him with wide eyes. He had been making a ruckus!

"Roxas?" He asked, confused, as he got to his knees to look the boy in the face. Roxas just looked at him for a moment before reaching down to pick up his blanket. Once it was secure in his grip, he looked back to the pink haired man.

"I have to pee."


	4. Boys don't cry

Hi. I really appreciate all the kind words of input you guys have left me. I know how easy it is to just ignore that review button, and I thank you guys from the bottom of my hearts for taking the time to review my story! Okay, so this chapter was really hard to write and at first, I was **really** unhappy with it. But, my lovely beta: P5hng-Me-A'Wy was able to help me. A lot of credit goes to her for this chapter! Thank you so much, Tacos!

I disclaim Kingdom Hearts!

Without further ado, Chapter 4:

* * *

"Okay Axel," Vexen muttered as he walked over to the redhead who sat still on the metal table he had been placed on. His small body trembling in the fear he tried not to show. Taking the boy's arms, he sterilized the crook of Axel's elbow around the needle that was now protruding from it. With a grin, he looked into the boy's scared eyes and asked a simple question. "Do you want to light the burner?"

Axel's bright green eyes widened in panic as he took in his 'daddy's' question. He was hooked up to that machine! Not only that, but Vexen hadn't told him anything about the substance he was talking about, or would be going into the redhead's _blood!_

"N-no…" The boy responded quietly, shaking his head timidly. He was afraid that Vexen would get mad. However, the blond man wasn't, he just simply smirked. Making sure that everything was in place, he took a quick look at the young child before he spoke, smooth icy voice entering in and out of Axel's ears.

"Very well then." He grinned and reached for the lighter that was still in Axel's trembling hands. Axel watched silently as the red lighter was taken from him. The scientist then flipped the top open and ran his thumb over the gear to start the flame. The flame that Axel once found so beautiful.

Swallowing hard, green eyes kept watching the tall man as he moved away from him and to the burner. Taking the lighter, Vexen placed the flame just above the burner. It was at that moment that Axel felt himself panic more than he had been before. Green eyes grew wide in horror as he tried not to move around no matter how scared he really was.

"Daddy! What are you doing?" Axel's voice was squeaky as he watched the mad scientist light the burner before his eyes. Vexen's smile grew wider as the burner lit, bright flames flickering and refecting in his cold eyes.

"I told you not to call me that, Axel." Vexen said calmly while his right eye lightly twitched. No matter how many times he told the child not to call him 'daddy', the redhead didn't learn and continued with such absurdity.

Axel stared at the man, but didn't say anything. He opted to looking down at his arms, looking down at what was happening to him. To believe that _he_ was once excited for this so called 'appointment'.

Hearing metal against metal, the redhead looked up. Vexen was looking for something on the table again. Axel narrowed his green eyes when the blond scientist held up something the redhead couldn't identify. It looked like a pen, but it was made out of some type of metal.

"Do you see this, child?" Vexen questioned as he came near Axel with the utensil. The boy was apprehensive, but nodded. "It gets very hot."

Axel didn't say anything. He just looked at the metal pen like thing and then to Vexen.

"If I make your body focus on this heat, the heat in your blood will not be too much to handle." Vexen spoke matter-of-factly as he wiped the tip of the metal pen down. Axel whimpered. He was starting to be afraid of those sterile wipes. "Now, do not move." Vexen ordered as he held the metal up.

"Vexen… I don't w-wanna be a..." Axel began but hesitated, "science experiment… anymore."

The scientist halted and cocked his head to the side with an 'are-you-serious?' expression. The redhead stared at him hopefully and the man laughed. Axel giggled along nervously, not knowing what else to do.

"You are my son," Vexen spoke once he got over the comedy of the situation. Squinting his green eyes, he glared at the redheaded child, icy voice cutting the child's anxious giggles like a sharp knife. "You will do as I say."

Axel's face fell.

* * *

"Are you done, Roxas?" Marluxia asked as he as he tapped his foot on the floor. He was outside the bathroom door, waiting for the small blond child to finish doing his business. He had been sure that the child would have been quick seeing how he had thrown such a huge tantrum to get to go to the restroom.

"No!" Roxas shouted from the bathroom. He had to think, and fast! How was he going to get away from Marluxia? Clutching the red blanket that Axel had given him to his chest, Roxas stared at the door with deep, worried, cerulean eyes. He wasn't smart enough to escape. Axel needed him, but he wasn't smart enough to save him.

Roxas' brows furrowed in frustration and he angrily wiped at his now misty eyes. He wasn't going to go and cry now! Axel said boys don't cry! Roxas sniffled loud, tears still threatening to fall down his cheeks and onto the title floor under his little feet.

"Roxas?" Marluxia's voice came from beyond the door after he heard the faint sound of Roxas sniffles. "Are you okay?"

At this, the blond lost it and he let out a loud wail. He felt so useless and he didn't know what else to do. He was so small, he wouldn't be able to make a difference.

Hearing Roxas' loud cried of distress, Marluxia took action. He threw open the door and ran inside in an instant. When he saw the tiny blond sobbing, his tiny hands gripping tightly to the little red blanket as his small body shuddered, the pink haired man dropped to his knees. He took the boy's face in his hands and cooed softly.

"What's wrong, honey?" his voice was sweet and sympathetic, hoping it would help the child calm down a little. The pink haired man couldn't stand the adversity of children. It made his heart ache.

Roxas looked up at the man and sniffed his drippy nose before letting out another sob. He reached forward and wrapped his little arms around the pink haired man's neck, burying his face in the other's nightshirt. The man didn't move for a moment, rather just stared at the devastated boy clinging to him.

"Roxas," He said, a serious tone to his voice as the child clung tighter to him. He was still sobbing and shaking, but not as violently as before. It was as if the pink haired man had brought him comfort, even if just a little. "Tell me what's wrong."

"He's hurting Axel!" the boy whined into his neck as he dug his little fingers into the older man's back. Marluxia looked down sadly, no child deserved this pain and torment. He loved Vexen, but this was too much. He couldn't just sit back and watch the blond scientist destroy innocent lives anymore.

"This is so wrong…" he murmured, more to himself than anything. Wrapping one toned arm around the sobbing child, he pulled the blond closer. "Don't worry, Roxas. Marly will help."

The pink haired man reached down and picked up Roxas' discarded blanket, the blanket that Axel had loved oh-so-much. He threw it over his shoulder before gathering the tiny golden blond child in his arms. No protest came from the boy as Marluxia stood from the bathroom floor and headed down the hall to the lab. After all, there was a chance they could save Axel…

* * *

Axel bit his lip so hard he was losing feeling. It was _hot!_ He tried to jerk his head away again, but Vexen's large hand was holding his head in place, not allowing him to move.

"STOP!" Axel found himself shouting loudly as pain took over his body. It _hurt._ Everything hurt so much and he wasn't sure just how much he could take before he passed out.

"Relax. Axel." The scientist's cold voice invaded the air. His hands held tighter to the redheaded boy who tired to jerk his head free again. There's always a little pain when it came to performing such scientific genius.

Axel whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could. Then, suddenly, the sharp pain was gone and was replaced with a lingering sting. The redhead's chest rose and fell quickly as he tried to regain his breath and open his eyes. He couldn't open his left eye, though. There was too much pain beneath it. So he settled for the blurry sight of his right eye that was misted over with unshed tears. Axel had refused to cry.

Boys don't cry.

The pinpointed pain on his cheek was driving him insane, causing the boy's body to writhe under the iron grip of his adopted father. Looking down at the redhead with cold eyes that showed amusement, Vexen called out to the child with a bland tone.

"Axel."

The redhead breathed heavy, small chest rising up and down as he breathed in and out slowly, lungs taking in as much air as they could. His head snapped towards the sound of Vexen's voice as the man called out his name in that icy tone once again.

"Daddy…!" He whimpered. The pain was driving his insane and he silently pleaded his daddy would realize this and stop all the hurt and pain tormenting him. Vexen just smirked, a large wicked grin entering the redhead's line of vision as he felt the man take his tiny trembling hand.

"Can you squeeze your hand around my finger for me?" Vexen asked as the redhead slowly looked up and back to his hand. He tried to do as he was told, but his hand just twitched.

"I-I can't!" the redhead panicked, voice stuttering. Why couldn't he squeeze his hand!

"Hmmm." Vexen hummed to himself and let go of the boy's hand to touch his arm. He studied the child closely before he spoke. His voice held the slightest of concern. "You're body's not taking the heat well. We have to get your mind off it."

Axel's eyes widened in fear as he watched the scientist reach for the metal 'pen' again.

"No!" He yelled and jerked back on the table. and Vexen immediately placed a cold hand on his chest, holding the redhead still. Axel panicked and this time he screamed loudly, his voice filling the room and bleeding into the outside hall when the burning metal was pressed under his right eye.

* * *

"Axel!" Roxas called out for his best friend when he heard the scream ring out through the large white hall. The painful screech stopped at the sound of Roxas' voice, leaving the hall in an eerie silence. However, it didn't last long. Suddenly, the redhead's ear piercing shriek split the silence again.

"Roxas!"

Roxas struggled against Marluxia's grip until the man put him down and the blond hesitated a moment before bolting towards the sound of Axel's voice. The pink haired man hastily followed the blond with a light jog seeing how the boy had tiny legs, and stopped at Vexen's lab doors just behind Roxas who looked up with scared cerulean eyes.

"Open the door!" The blond's fragile voice was panicked as he pushed himself against the metal door. Roxas stood on his tippy toes, hand stretched out trying to open himself but failed. Just like when he had gone exploring with Axel, he was just to short.

Marluxia hesitated, if he interrupted Vexen during one of his experiments he'd probably be dropped in an instant. But this had to stop, he couldn't see or hear, let alone allow the kids to go through more pain. And if he lost the one he loved in the process, he didn't care. Axel and Roxas were too sweet to be tainted like the others.

So he took the door handle the small blond was trying to each and opened the door.

* * *

"Roxas!" Axel shrieked when the small blond barged into the room, Marluxia right behind him. Roxas' panicked blue eyes darted around the room before settling on the redhead that had a type of heated metal pressed against his cheek. Vexen was hurting Axel! There was a fresh bleeding burn on the redhead's left cheek and the blond could see the scientist was working on the other side.

"Vexen! What are you doing?" Marluxia's voice came in a panicked but stern tone as he watched the blond man scar and burn the small child's cherubic face. He gently nudged Roxas (who hadn't moved since comprehending the scene before him) out of the way and took a step closer to the scientist, glaring daggers at the man. Vexen didn't even turn around, he was too busy holding the boy down.

"Marluxia. I told you not to interrupt." The blond man spoke simply as he continued to press the heat pen to the redhead's sensitive face. Axel whimpered as the pressure was increased, along with the smell of his own burning flesh.

"Stop it! Don't hurt him you bastard!" Marluxia shouted, his sapphire eyes darting from between the man he used to have so much respect for and the sweet innocent child said man was _torturing._ He didn't move, though. He couldn't say why, but his feet were glued to the spot he stood.

The room filled with a suffocating silence minus the small whimpering that continued to leak from Axel's lips as the heated pen continued to burn and scar his pale skin.

"It is for the sake of science." Vexen said simply as he removed the pen from the redhead's face. Axel let out a quiet sob once the pinpointed pain was gone. However, it was soon replaced with a constant sting. The scientist proceeded to place one of his long slender fingers in the palm of the child's hand. "Squeeze." He ordered and Axel did, although his grip was extremely weak. No matter how hard or how many times Axel told himself that boys don't cry, he couldn't stop the tears that fell from his green eyes and dripped onto the metal surface he sat on.

Roxas cowered up against the wall and watched the scene before him in horror. Axel was always so happy and Vexen had brought him to _tears_.

Vexen: the man that had kidnapped Roxas from his family and home. The man that had thrown him in an unknown room with no explanation. The man that had stuck needles and more in his body and caused him a great deal of pain. The man that just burned and scarred the face of his only friend in this scary place. Roxas _really _hated that man for everything he had done and was doing.

The small blond clenched his fists around his abused blanket and moved to stand beside Marluxia, the only person in the room that made him feel somewhat safe. The pink haired man was frozen, but when Roxas reached for his hand and gripped his pinky, he furrowed his brows in a new found determination.

"I will not let you hurt these children under my watch anymore, Vexen." He spoke sternly, his voice deep and warning. And he meant every word he spoke. This time he wasn't going to just stay frozen in place. He was going to take action or so he hoped…

"Oh?" Vexen raised a brow as he proceeded to wrap gauze around Axel's bleeding forearms and clean up his bleeding face. "Why the sudden change of mind, _dear_?" the blond's voice was calm, but Marluxia caught the warning in the last syllable. He watched cautiously as Vexen finished patching the boy up and picked him up off the table. "You have never questioned me before."

"I'm taking these two to bed, I'll be back to speak with you." Marluxia spoke strongly and firm as he glared at the terrible man in front of him.

"I shall patiently await your return." Vexen replied sarcastically with a smirk. Marluxia scoffed and made his way to Vexen. He reached forward to pull Axel off of the table and onto his hip with the arm that Roxas wasn't clinging on to. The redhead was sniffling and staring down at the floor, but clung to Marluxia's neck anyway. Kissing the top of the boy's head, the three made their way out of the lab.

Roxas leaned his head back a bit as the three left the room. He tried to lock eyes with Axel, but the boy was silent as he stared blankly at the ground, his eyes quivering. The bandages on his face were staining red.

When the three stood in front of the boys' room, Marluxia let go of Roxas' hand and kneeled down to place Axel on the ground. He then looked them in the eyes, his face solemn as he took in the sight of the damaged children before him. It really was funny how fast one person could destroy the life of another. Smiling weakly at the boys, he reached out to ruffle their hair with a gentle touch.

"Boys," He tried to think of a way to word what he was trying to say. "Sometimes, people you love are going to hurt you." He furrowed his brows and locked eyes with the broken redhead in front of him. "But don't lose hope. As long as you have friends," He reached forward and took a hand from each child. He smiled gently as he linked them together, "Nothing can break you." Roxas looked up at him with unwavering eyes.

"Do you have friends, Marly?" the blond asked quietly as the pink haired man let go of the boys' hands. The children didn't let go of each other, though. Marluxia smiled sadly but didn't respond, he couldn't respond. Not after all that had happened.

Roxas immediately understood.

Dropping his blanket, the blond reached forward and gripped the man's hand with his now free hand. Marluxia tipped his head to the side and smiled sadly at the boy. He was so pure. However, his attention was brought to the other boy when Axel took his other hand in his own trembling grip.

_What would become of these boys?_

* * *

"It's wrong!" Marluxia was getting frustrated with the thick-headedness of his friend who also happened to be his boss. "This approach may be faster, but it's _torturing_ those poor children! At least the others are introduced to their elements slowly! At least you're not _hurting_ the others! I will not tolerate this." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared daggers at the man before him.

"I have reached what would have taken me weeks with the others in one day with these two. Do tell me that is not progress." the long-haired man spoke calmly and unfazed by the anger of the other. Marluxia rolled his eyes before he spoke again.

"I can leave, I can leave and take them with me. I'm the one that signed Axel's adoption papers, so you can't do a thing about it." He responded confidently and took a seat in one of the lab chairs littering the room, crossing his legs.

"They're unstable." was all the man said to Marluxia.

"What?"

Vexen smirked, eyes locking with the other's. "If you take them in the middle of the experiment, their bodies won't be able to sustain themselves. They need me now."

* * *

_Jornal. Vexen hurt me reelly bad and now I don't want to be here anymor. I feel reelly hot all the time. Roxas says peeple get hot when they are sick. I think I'm sick. Roxas has been talking to me more. It makes me happy. Im glad I have a frend like him. Marly says sumtimes the people I love will hurt me. If they hurt me, why wood I love them?_

* * *

The weeks after Axel's first appointment at the Hearts Research Vicinity seemed to move at a snail's pace. Roxas had finally opened up to the extent that he would often be the one to make up the games he and Axel would play in their empty room. They would laugh and play, but they always each had a steady eye on the door.

Vexen had been coming in every other day to take the boys to their appointments. Luckily, he never cut Roxas open or burned Axel again. He only asked them a lot of questions and gave them a lot of injections. Axel never disobeyed because he knew if he did, Vexen wouldn't love him anymore. The redhead had decided he didn't love the scientist the way he once did, but he still wanted the man to love and care for _him._

Marluxia had been coming into the boys' room every day to offer them food. However, they always said no. Axel hadn't been hungry for a long time and when the redhead asked Roxas about it, the blond said he had noticed the same thing about himself. The two of them hadn't thought it strange, but when they told Marluxia, the pink haired man had just frowned.

Axel's burns had healed to the point where they didn't hurt, but they still left two ugly scars under the boy's green eyes. The redhead convinced himself they looked cool and convinced Roxas to agree with him.

Now, Axel was sitting in the dead center of his and Roxas' empty room. The blond boy pretended to trace out a map into the 'sand'. They were pretending to be Lost Boys looking for the treasure Captain Hook had stolen from them.

Roxas was sitting on his blanket and furrowing his brows in concentration as he explained the route to Axel. The redhead simply stared at the blond as he talked away, voice filled with a light joy and excitement.

"We have to pass mermaid's lagoon. That's dangerous, Axel, so we have to be _very_ careful!"

"Okay!" Axel nodded and jumped to his feet, prepared for the adventure the two were abut to have in the white empty room. "C'mon Roxas! Lead the way!"

Roxas giggled and pushed himself up off the ground to join his best friend. He wobbled a little bit, but shook it off and placed his hands on his small hips. "Which way is north?" He asked with his chin in the air.

"That way!" Axel shouted excitedly, waving his finger in all sorts of directions. Roxas laughed and nodded before bolting off into a run, sharply turning and stopping to change directions every few seconds and effectively running into Axel multiple times in the process.

The blond laughed when he accidently knocked his friend to the ground and he fell over to the side to lay on the floor. He sprawled his arms and legs out around him and yawned loudly. Axel laughed loudly.

"Roxas! You just took a nap! Why are you tired?" The redhead giggled between words and scooted himself against the ground to sit next to the other boy. Roxas yawned again before replying.

"I dunno… I'm gonna take a nap."

Axel groaned but laughed anyway and got up to walk over to his bed. He sat on the mattress and reached under it to pull out his lighter. Over the past few weeks, the redhead had grown quite attached to the small flame it produced.

Flicking the flame on with his thumb, Axel grinned at the heat in his hands. He held his palm over the lick of fire and giggled. The heat used to hurt, but now, Axel just thought it felt _great._

* * *

I had this huge blast of sentimentality today with all the Axel and Roxas feels. I mean, as hard as I ship akuroku, it's the boys' friendship that makes them truly need each other. They don't even need to show it, all they need is the stability of knowing they had each other as friends. Kingdom Hearts taught me that best friends are two people that can sit around, talk about nonsense and eat ice cream every day without ever boring of each other.

Okay, I need to not gush my mushy mind onto you guys.

Thank you for reading. Questions, comments, and concerns are appretiated! :D


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